

6 – This number (with sometimes a letter added) indicates chemical additives used in the wire which may affect the polarity setting on the machine.

70 – This two or three-digit number represents the minimum tensile strength of the weld metal, measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) multiplied by 1,000.Here’s what the classification number for a common wire for mild steel, ER70S-6, indicates:
#Gasless flux core welding wire code
The AWS code for solid steel wire is known as AWS A5.18. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers also has a code, but it’s nearly identical. Like stick electrodes, there’s a classification system for the different choices of MIG wire available that’s managed by the American Welding Society. There are two consumables to consider in the GMAW process – the gas and the wire. However, since CO2 and O2 are reactive gases, it’s more accurate to say MAG – metal active gas – when these gases are used.) Wire Classification (The term MIG, incidentally, stands for “metal inert gas”. And since the spool holds about a mile’s worth of wire, you don’t have to stop and reload very often. Welding out of position is a lot easier than with SMAW. This allows for pinpoint accuracy and an unobstructed view of what’s happening inside the joint. When a welder pulls the trigger on his MIG gun (shown below), a wire feed machine advances the wire out through a brass nozzle. Nowadays, it is the most common process for structural welding and product fabrication.

In this welding process, more popularly known as MIG, a gas tank (typically CO2 or argon) provides the shielding while the wire melts into the base metal. Instead, everything you need to deposit a weld comes from a spool of metal wire. In Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), you won’t be using a stick electrode or a filler rod.
